The invention relates to a vehicle roof with top parts which are movable between closed and open positions and which are supported by an operating mechanism which is mounted to the body of the vehicle.
DE 196 43 225 C1 discloses a vehicle roof in the form of a coherent module comprising a movable top, a roll-over bar and a roof storage compartment, in which the top is deposited when the roof is open. The storage compartment is enclosed by an essentially U-shaped support frame, which also forms a support structure for the top and the roll-over bar. When installed in the vehicle, the open end of the U-shaped support frame extends toward the front of the vehicle and is delimited in the rear by a vehicle body wall, which extends between the vehicle interior and the luggage compartment. When installed in the vehicle, the vehicle top with its support structure forms a part of the vehicle. In order to achieve sufficient torsional stiffness with respect to torsion about the longitudinal vehicle axis, the side legs of the support frame must be securely fixed to the vehicle body.
DE 199 49 960 C2 discloses another vehicle roof which forms with the top storage compartment, a pre-assembled module. The vehicle roof and the roof storage compartment are coupled to a transverse frame, which is a structural part of the module and extends through the mass center point of the module and by way of which the largest part of the weight forces and the reaction forces resulting from a movement of the roof are transmitted to the vehicle body. This requires an adaptation of the structure with regard to the roof, the roof operating mechanism and the roof storage compartment.
Based on this state of the art, it is the object of the present invention to provide a vehicle top which is pre-assembled on a support frame and forms a module which improves the rigidity of the vehicle body and, particularly, the vehicle stiffness when it is installed in the vehicle body.
In a vehicle roof support and operating arrangement by which a vehicle top can be moved between closed and open positions while supported on a support frame which also supports the top operating mechanism, and which is connected to a vehicle body, the support frame includes a front transverse frame member, a rear transverse frame member and two side frame member extending between, and interconnecting the front and rear transverse frame members so as to form a closed rigid support frame reinforcing the vehicle body.
In this way, the support frame significantly improves the rigidity and particularly the torsional stiffness of the vehicle body in the transverse as well as the longitudinal vehicle direction. The support frame consequently becomes a structural part of the vehicle body, which increases its strength and which permits a reduction of the amount or the strength of respective components of the vehicle body structure. That is, a basic vehicle body with reduced strength may be used since the support frame for the roof is incorporated into the vehicle body increasing its rigidity and strength. Because of the closed structure of the support frame, the rigidity is improved equally in the transverse and in the longitudinal vehicle direction.
Because of the closed support frame arrangement, which, in a top view, is preferably about rectangular, the support frame may form the corner elements for a rear vehicle space, particularly the trunk or the roof storage compartment of a vehicle. In that case, the support frame is preferably engaging the side walls of the trunk or storage compartment.
The support frame may also support a wall structure which is firmly attached to the frame, particularly a wall structure, which is firmly attached to the front part of the support frame and which extends downwardly therefrom to form the rear wall or part of the rear wall disposed between the vehicle interior and the trunk. The front transverse member of the support frame and the wall structure together form the front part of the support frame.
It may further be expedient to support the trunk lid operating mechanism and also the trunk lid itself on the rear transverse part of the support frame. The support frame and the rear lid including the rear lid operating mechanism then form a module, which can be assembled and tested for proper operation before installation into the vehicle.
The support structure and bearings for the roof operating mechanism and also the roof may be arranged on the front transverse member of the support frame where they can also be pre-assembled and tested for proper operation before installation into the vehicle. The support frame, the vehicle top with the top operating mechanism and the lid with the lid operating mechanism will, in such an embodiment, form a pre-assembled module, which may also include the drive arrangementsxe2x80x94that is, hydraulic operating elements, electric motors, control equipmentxe2x80x94for the operation of the vehicle top and also for the rear lid. Also, a roll-over bar may be supported on the support frame and be part of the module. The roll-over bar may be rigidly connected to the support frame or it may be mounted in such a way that it is movable relative thereto.
The front transverse member of the support frame is preferably a cast component, particularly an injection molded aluminum component, which is highly rigid but, at the same time, has a relatively low weight. The injection-molded frame part can be formed exactly in the desired shape wherein already during the casting procedure tight tolerances can be maintained so that generally only the areas to be joined to the vehicle body and/or the vehicle top have to be machined after casting. The rear transverse member and also the side parts of the support frame consist preferably of pressed sheet metal, particularly steel sheet metal.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention will be described below in greater detail on the basis of the accompanying drawings.